1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a pointer structure.
2. Description of the Related Art
There is a known vehicular pointer device having a display, such as a liquid-crystal display (LCD), arranged in a center of a dial plate for a rotary pointer. In the case such a display is disposed frontward of a dial plate for the ordinary rotary pointer, the display can be laid out at or around a center of the dial plate without interfering a view of the display with the pointer.
However, in the case where the dial plate is to indicate important information such as vehicle speed and the display is to show comparatively less significant information such as current time or so, the dial plate is desirably disposed frontward of the display in a manner improving the visibility of the dial plate.
In the pointer device in a type as shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B, an LCD 610 is provided backward of the dial plate 600 formed thereon with an indicator showing, for example, vehicle speeds so that the LCD 610 backward is exposed through an aperture 601 formed in a center of the dial plate 600. Furthermore, the pointer device includes a pointer 620 for pointing an indicator on the dial plate 600, a circuit board 630 carrying electronic components thereon, and an internal mechanism 640 mounted on the circuit board 630 to rotate the pointer 620 (see Patent Document 1, for example).
The pointer 620 is provided extending along from the internal mechanism 640 to the back and main surfaces of the dial plate 600 through, in order, a backside of the LCD 610, an outer periphery of the LCD 610 and a gap between the LCD 610 and the dial plate 600. Namely, the pointer 620 is in a generally S-shape that is folded through between the dial plate 600 and the LCD 610. With this structure, the pointer 620 is not obstructive to a view of the LCD 610 despite the LCD 610 is disposed backward of the dial plate 600.
In the meanwhile, the pointer 620 desirably emits light spontaneously in order to improve the visibility. In this case, it can be contemplated that a plurality of LED light sources are provided on the circuit board 630 in a manner surrounding a rotation shaft of the internal mechanism 640 and, moreover, the pointer 620 has a pointer main body formed of a light transmissive material so that the light received from the light sources provided on the side of the internal mechanism 640 can be guided to a pointer visualizing portion located at a tip of the pointer main body. The pointer main body used in such a spontaneous light pointer device is structurally surrounded with a light-shielding cover in order to prevent light from leaking.
FIG. 6 is an essential-part exploded perspective view showing a reference example of a spontaneous light pointer whose pointer main body is surrounded by a cover.
The spontaneous light pointer shown in FIG. 6 is structured that a pointer main body 501 is coved by three members, i.e. a visualizing-portion cover 503, a main-body cover 505 and a lid cover 507.
The pointer main body 501 has a pointer visualizing portion 515 arranged extending along a surface of the dial plate 600 shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B, a pointer neck portion 513 continuing to the pointer visualizing portion 515 through a pointer bend portion 511 and extending along from an inner surface of the dial plate 600 to a backside thereof, and a U-shaped bend portion 514 continuing from the pointer neck portion closer to a pointer base end, so that a generally S-shape is formed at a tip of the pointer main body.
The visualizing-portion cover 503 is formed in a generally L-shape with a window 517 through which the pointer visualizing portion 515 is exposed. The main-body cover 505 has in a first sidewall 521 a bend piece portion 519 covering an inner corner of the pointer bend portion 511, and is formed in a trough form having a second sidewall 523 continuing to the first sidewall 521 through a bottom wall 525 in a manner sandwiching the pointer main body 501. The lid cover 507 closes the opening 527 spanning between the first sidewall 521 and the second sidewall 523.
According to this pointer structure, the pointer neck portion 513 and U-shaped bend portion 514 of the pointer main body 501 is housed in the main-body cover 505, the lid cover 507 is secured in the opening 527 of the main-body cover 505 and the visualizing-portion cover 503 is covered over the pointer visualizing portion 515 of the pointer main body 501, whereby light is prevented from leaking from the pointer main body 501.